Shirt-waist



(No Model.)

L. S. 00X.

SHIRT WAIST.

No. 344,251. Patented June 22, 1886.

N. PETERS Photo-Lillvzgnphnr. Walhington D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWVIS S. COX, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHIRT-WAIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,251, dated June 22, 1886.

Application filed October 9,1885.

To aZZ whmn 2125 may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS S. COX, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Childrens Shirt-\Vaists, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has reference to childrens shirt-waists; and it consists in certain improvements fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The essential feature of this invention consists in a waist formed with a substantially inelastic belt or band furnished with supporting-buttons, and having the body portion made of an elastic material-such as stocki net or other similar knitted fabricwhereby the pants or skirts of the child may be securely supported, and yet the shoulders and upper portion of the body may have full play without anywise straining the lower garment, and thereby greatly add to the general comfort. The elastic fabric acts in the shirtwaist in substantially the manner similar to elastic suspenders in a mans garment. As an addition to the formation of the elastic body, I propose to add extra elastic bands or plaits extending from the shoulder down to the waist and arranged upon the front or back, or both, and so that the main strain, if any occurred, would be received upon these re-enforcing elastic parts.

A great deal of discomfort is experienced by children with the ordinary linen shirtwaists as it gives no opportunity for the movement of the body without causing stricture or dragging on some other part, and if the child is at all rough in its actions the buttons about the waist are torn therefrom. By the construction of my improved waist all of these objections are entirely overcome, great comfort and freedom of movement may be had, and the durability of the garment is greatly improved.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a childs shirt-waist embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of same on line w 10. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a Serial No. 179,392. (No model.)

portion of same 011 line as w, and Fig. 4 is a crosssection of a portion of same on line g y.

A is the body of the waist. O is the waistband. B is the skirt, and H are the arms.

The body A and skirt B in practice would be formed one and the same piece, the latter being an extension of the former, the two being separated by the waistband O, which is substantially n0n-elastic in any direction, and is made very strong, being preferably formed in the manner shown in Fig. 4. To this waistband the supporting-buttons G are secured.

The body A is formed of an elastic materialsuch as stockinet or equivalent knitted fabricand the front or back, or both, may be re-enforced by elastic supporting-plaits F, which extend from the waist up to the shoulders, being secured at both ends and preferably to the waist throughout its entire length by two rows of elastic stitches, f, arranged substantially as shown in Fig. 3. In place of making these plaits or parts F of separate material, they may be made of suitable plaits in the fabric and formed with the body of the garment.

The waist is made open down the front, the free edges D being bound upon the back with an inelastic band, E, so that the garment is substantially inelastic or non-extensible from the neck to the waist in a central line down the front, and these edges may be secured together by means of buttons, hooks and eyes, or other equivalent device.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A childs shirt-waist having a substantially nonelastic waistband, to which the buttons for supporting the pants or skirts are secured, and having its body part made of an elastic knitted fabric provided with re-enforcing elastic bands or folds extending from the waist to the shoulders, whereby the shoulders and body may move freely without dragging upon the lower garments supported by the band, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A childs shirt-waist having an inelastogether, substantially as and for the purpose tic waistband furnished with buttons for supspecified. to porting the lower garments, and in which the In testimony of which invention I hereunto shoulder portions are formed of elastic maset my hand.

5 terial, the said waist being made to buttcn LEWIS S. QOX.

up in front, the free edges from the neck to WVitnesses: the Waistband being made inelastic and pro- .PAUL P. BANI-IOLZER,

vided with suitable means for securing them GEO. B. COCK. 

